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Re: [TowerTalk] Help with Ameritron RCS-12C

To: herbs@vitelcom.net
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Help with Ameritron RCS-12C
From: Mike Reublin NF4L <nf4l@comcast.net>
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 06:45:24 -0400
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Herb,

I had a bad RCS-12 out of the box. Maybe yours is too. The replacement worked 
as expected. I love it!

Good luck.

Mike NF4L

On Mar 16, 2014, at 6:23 PM, Herb Schoenbohm <herbs@vitelcom.net> wrote:

> Joe,  You are always so very helpful in solving problems....but in this case 
> I must have read and re-read the skimpy Ameritron manual 10 or more times.  
> The jumpers are in the right setting per the manual JMP1 is 1 of 8 and JMP4 
> is "direct" as the manual suggests.  Even on the bench on the "Relay 
> Connection Jack" multiple votages appear on different wire in one setting of 
> the switch in the manual mode.  this is with both my RCS-12C one just 
> purchased to see if I have a bad controller. As I mentioned the previously 
> the RS-232 9 pin has individual voltage output 1-8 and no ambiguity.  However 
> this output is only 5 volts DC on either controller  as it appears to be for 
> the purpose of switching other external devices.  Absent a detailed schematic 
> my ability to troubleshoot the 8 higher current switching transistors is 
> limited.  Any suggestions?
> 
> 
> Herb, KV4FZ
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 3/16/2014 6:03 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
>> 
>> Herb,
>> 
>> Read the RCS-12 manual.  The answer you need will be found on pages 4
>> and 5.  See the 1 of 8 configuration for the "Relay Connection Jack"
>> and the appropriate setting for JMP 1.
>> 
>> RTFM OM!
>> 
>> 73,
>> 
>>   ... Joe, W4TV
>> 
>> 
>> On 3/16/2014 5:16 PM, Herb Schoenbohm wrote:
>>> I am trying to get my RCS-12C Ameritron antenna switch interface working
>>> with a DX-Engineering  8-Port Antenna Switch in a 1-8 configuration.
>>> However the Ameritron box outputs switching voltage on more than one
>>> wire simultaneously even in the manual setting  via the 8 pin connection
>>> jack thus causing more than one relay to reference an antenna. The
>>> switching closures from the common main feed port to the various
>>> antennas are all over the place thus causing high VSWR on the selected
>>> antenna. One would think that Ameritron would have 12 VDC or what ever
>>> the switching voltage might be to only output one wire at a time but
>>> that is not the case.  There is however on the RCS-12C an Auxiliary
>>> Output DB9 connector which provides a single voltage of 5 volts DC with
>>> respect to ground and these are all correct and non are duplicatd on
>>> other ports like the Din Relay box port Unfortunately the DX-Engineering
>>> box type RR8B-HP Remote Antenna Switch requires a control voltage of
>>> 10-14VDC, not 5 volts. The cable used is CAT 5 of very good quality and
>>> I have even made a new run with a new Din connection to the antenna
>>> control port on the RCS-12. All my setting inside the Ameritron are
>>> simple 1 through 8 switching.  I have searched for solution and maybe
>>> the only way the RCS-12C will control the DX=Engineering Antenna Switch
>>> is by building a board of 8 five volt relays which then send 10-14 volts
>>> out to an external supply.  Yes the Ameritron 12-RCSC has provision for
>>> inputing up to 30 volts and an internal jumper for a direct feed to the
>>> Din relay box connector.  However there is enough voltage on non
>>> switched wires to cause the remote antenna switch to do all sorts of
>>> unfortunate things.  Sometime the 20 meter antenna shows up on position
>>> 8 even though the coax is into port 5.  Sometimes the 10 meter port and
>>> the 160 meter port are cross connected.  This is all very strange and I
>>> would like to know if any other user of this configuration has had
>>> similar problems and discovered solutions.  I have even purchased a new
>>> RCS-12C controller and this performs the same way.  Again I have a BCD
>>> connection to my Icom but this is not the problem  since the bad
>>> switching occurs in manual mode  as well as auto mode.
>>> 
>>> Please let me know if you have a solution to this.  I would like to get
>>> it running before the CQ WPX contest or else try to switch this box with
>>> some clip leads and a 12VDC supply.  This must be something simple to
>>> correct.
>>> 
>>> Regards,
>>> 
>>> herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> TowerTalk mailing list
>>> TowerTalk@contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>>> 
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